Djokovic fighting for fitness after downing Fritz

Novak Djokovic squeezed out a 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 defeat of Taylor Fritz to each the US Open semi-finals, with the 24-time Grand Slam winner now fighting to recover prior to his upcoming match.

The 38-year-old Serb dispatched the last local in the New York field in a match whose start was delayed after the early evening women’s quarter-final was cancelled as Marketa Vondrousova made a late withdrawal.

Djokovic, playing his first event since Wimbledon, has at times competed on fumes as he moves through at Flushing Meadows.

And the 38-year-old Serb confessed that he will need all of the next two days to try and regain match fitness to take on Carlos Alcaraz.

“I don’t feel very fresh at the moment, but hopefully in two days it will be different,” he said. 

“It’s really key for me to really get my body in shape and ready to battle five sets if it’s needed I just would really love that. 

“I would love to be fit enough to play potentially five sets with Carlos. I know that my best tennis is going to be required, but I’d rise to the occasion.

Normally I like to play the big matches on a big stage.

He added: “I’m not really sure how the body is going to feel in the next few days. But, you know, I’m going to do my very best with my team to be fit for that.”

The winner called his defeat of Fritz in three and a half hours “one of those days where you just have to grind. You just have to play with your heart and fight.

“That’s what really gave me the win in the end.”

The win marked the fourth Grand Slam appearance this season in a semi-final for Djokovic, who won his most recent title here in 2023. He leads Alcaraz 5-3 in their career series.

Djokovic has been plagued by medical issue this season, many of which surfaced at the majors.

He retired in the first set in his Melbourne semi against Alexander Zverev with a leg muscle tear, needed a medical timeout in Roland Garros against Jannik Sinner and was crushed by the Italian in their Wimbledon semi as he dealt with a groin strain..

A frustrated Fritz was only able to convert on two of 13 break chances, missing his first 10 in the opening two sets.

Main photo:- Novak Djokovic beating Taylor Fritz in four sets – by Mark Greenwood/Grandslamtennis